Missing TeethThe Board shall serve to promote transparency in the City of Lake Worth’s budget process and allow for additional citizen input on major financial decisions.
The Board shall consult with and advise the City Manager and the City Commission in matters affecting the annual operating budget, capital improvement program and all financial policies.
Meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM."
Above is the mission statement. And after 13 months of the Board's existence, only a few on that Board understand it. I refer to the sentence above that is highlighted. So many subjects are discussed and the Board gets waylaid on ideas that are not relative to the budget.
Last night we had to listen to Becky Mattey and the Conservation Energy Program for 1.5 hours. As this Program has been in effect for a year now, I would think that the Board would have a clue about it. It's costing us X amount of dollars giving the City X amount of dollars in savings or costs. Let's get to the nitty gritty. We do not need another bureaucracy that costs over one million dollars to tell people how they can save on their electric bill. Each month the city could put out one line of energy savings information on the Utility bill with new information for 12 months, i.e., Turn up your thermostat one degree and you will save an average of X amount of dollars.
We are NOT or I should say, we should not be a social services government. We should not be getting into Loan Programs for people who can't buy air conditioners or make their homes energy efficient. Half the city is in foreclosure and we want to entertain an idea of backing loans to the poor so the rest of the taxpayers can eventually pick up the tab.
The Board insisted that it have new elections not bothering to wait for 2.5 months when the terms end on July 31 and when new appointments to that Board would be in effect. There was some big hurry to bounce out Ron Exline. John Pickett is the new Chair. As they did not wait for new appointees, they do not have a secretary so no one is taking Minutes.
The Board will not improve with different leaders. What will happen now is that the Finance Advisory Board will meet more often and waste more time but it will make five of them happier campers and they can at least say to themselves "We are doing something."
Also, I worry about a city attorney and an entire Finance Board that re-invents the wheel and determines that a calendar year is anything but.
10 comments:
Sadly, the utilities 'Conservation Energy Program' will have exactly the reverse effect that it is intended to inspire.
What is going to happen, and we are seeing it all over the country, are those of us who are able to afford the $3 dollar CFL light bulb, and the 15 SEER air conditioner & heat pumps, and the 95% efficiency furnace will jump on this band wagon and initially save on our light bill. The less fortunate, those who are living paycheck to paycheck, will not have this same advantage, nor will they have the incentive to invest in these efficiencies as they have no way of paying for these. Then, what will happen and what is already happening, the utility will discover that it is not generating the revenues that it formerly was, and will have to raise the rates. Now, those of us who could afford the initial efficiencies are back to parity, i.e., we now are paying a higher rate but have effectively lowered our consumption via efficiencies. But.....and this is were the rubber meets the road, the lower income individuals have just had their rates raised and have seen none of the benefits of efficiencies. In other words, Becky is screwing about half of her constituents (possibly 90% in LW) in the name of "Conservation". To get a feel about where the rates are headed you have to look no further than Nevada power and their own energy efficiency program.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/may/04/nv-energy-does-good-so-it-wants-raise/
Yet another drawback, and yet another rate increase, will come when the utility discovers a dire need to add VAR's (capacitance) to your entire electrical system because the power factors of these new energy efficient devices is .6 and they will find it necessary to spend the dollars required to bring it back up to .95 or higher.
While efficiencies are a good, or even great thing, the unintended consequences are enormous.
Jessica learned well from Ryan Anderson how to steal an election. Can Jessica legally even be on the board since she resigned her position as secretary? (The job was beyond Jessica's abilities.There were numerous complaints about her inability to provide the minutes in a timely manor). And since "elections" were held but they now have no secretary to record minutes for the meetings, is this board even legal?
Katie McG
From what I can see none of this really matters because this Board has no power, no authority and is treated like dirt by the commission. I think it was set up for show. In reality, Stanton controls everything and listens to no one. I stopped going to meetings because it was a waste of time. The members should resign and make a statement to the public.
John, thanks for your comment. I totally agree. However, egos are in the way. Ron told me months ago that he had no intention of running again. He has made the right decision. He was also the only one on that Board who stood up to the CM at a commission meeting as well as in a private meeting...to no avail.
You’re an idiot, Katie. Let me spell it out for you clearly since you seem to be having trouble understanding this:
Jon Pickett = FAB Chairman
Darrian Dority = FAB Vice Chairman
Nobody = FAB Secretary
Ms. Plotkin is not an officer of the FAB (Finance Advisory Board), so what election did she “steal?”
Regarding her performance - First of all, there were absolutely no complaints about Ms. Plotkin’s performance as Secretary. But what do facts mean to you? They’re no fun… you make shit up! Perhaps you were not aware that the FAB met almost 30 times last year. Or that over 25% of their meetings didn’t record. Or that unlike the CRA or P&Z, the Board does not have a staff member performing the duties of Secretary. Or that Ms. Plotkin not only volunteers her time for both the FAB & TRNA Boards, but she works full-time and goes to school full-time. Despite those demands, she did such an exemplary job that, last night; she was nominated to run for the position once again. Moreover, she was complimented on several occasions for the thoroughness of her minutes by her board and members of the public, including this very blog’s proprietor.
Let’s take a look at our own City Clerk’s Office to gauge a timely manner for completing minutes. Up until March 2011 there were no minutes posted since early December 2010. Today, the City’s Clerk is one month behind. Also, if we compare delivery of minutes from the FAB to a board that you’re more akin to like the Community Relations Board (the one set up to combat PBSO) doesn’t even have one agenda or meeting minute document posted for this year even though they meet regularly. The delivery of minutes one month behind is standard practice.
Obviously you spent a lot of time thinking about your comments because you got me on the legality issue. On second thought; no you didn’t. You’re wrong AGAIN. Both the Ordinance creating the FAB and the Board’s first motion state that the elected officers of the FAB will serve one calendar year or for 365 days. It goes on to say that an elected officer term (one year) cannot exceed that of the Board members term. All Board members terms expire on July 31st of varying years. According to both Pam Lopez and Elaine Humphreys (this is the City’s Clerk and the City’s Attorney) this means that the committee needed to select new officers when their terms expired on April 7, 2011. Ms. Plotkin did not “resign,” her term as an elected officer had come to an end. Regardless of being an Officer, she remains a FAB member until July, 2012 per her appointment by the City’s Commission. Ms. Plotkin just happened to be the only one who recognized the ordinance and reminded the Board members of their obligation to follow the law. In fact, it was the intention of one Board member to try and circumvent the Ordinance and keep himself in office after their term had expired.
Sadly none of this will sink in with you. I just hope that you stop and think before spreading your bullshit next time. Have a wonderful day.
-Ryan Anderson
Ryan-
Could you send me the Ordinance highlighting your points. Thanks.
Ryan-you're a fuc555g idiot. The city att will be receiving an e-mail from TALLAHASSEE indicating that the FAB board violated state open meetings law.Jessica made the motion to go ahead with this violation AFTER being cautioned by chairman Exline.Scramble,scramble to CYA your dishonest azzez!!On the agenda last night it stated a DISCUSSION item not an action item. There was no public notice of your illegal vote. The county ethics czar will love this one !!! You by the way,were making things up in the above post. The things you quoted,made up, don't exist !
Hey,Laurie D. Will john Pickett walk door to door for your candidates next election? You are nothing but a back stabbing BIT$C!
I’m not sure why you need this, Lynn. Your next post after this one quotes ordinance which means that you know how to use www.municode.com as well as I do. Right? There isn’t a good way to link to Municode so I’ve created a PDF for you and made it available at http://lwnapc.org/doanloads/FABord.pdf. Check out sec.1-233.
Comments all lost to Blogger problem...sorry.
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